Wednesday 31 August 2011

Fraser Island Photography Tour Better than Books at School

Guest blog and images by Caitlin Allen

15 year old Caitlin is finalising some work experience with Danielle at Bluedog Photography and part of a special treat was a trip to Fraser Island. Here's a few of Caitlin's thoughts:

As a very special treat for my birthday in August 2011, my Mum took me along on the Bluedog Photography Fraser Island Tour.  As part of the group, I learnt a lot of amazing things about photography that helped me create better-looking images by getting to know my camera and being able to take it off ‘auto mode’ and try out lots of different settings, including manual!

Our tutors, Danielle Lancaster and Peter Meyer, were always there to give me advice about the shot I was taking and were very knowledgeable about the wildlife and history of Fraser Island.  This made every day really interesting while I was also learning more on important methods of photography throughout the tour.  In fact, most of the time it didn’t even feel like learning as it was so much fun!   The photographs we took helped me to get a better understanding of the way my camera works and also important aspects of photography including composition, white balance and long exposure shots. 

During the tour we visited a number of well-known places on Fraser Island that were amazing to see and great to photograph, such as McKenzie Jetty, the rainforest, Indian Head and the Eastern Beach.  The Eastern Beach and Indian Head would have to be my favourite places. Then again, there was the whale watching tour, which would also have to be on my favourites list.  These majestic creatures were absolutely awesome to watch as they played around our boat!  We had to make lots of noise so the whales would come closer to check us out, which they did, and it was an amazing thing to be able to photograph them so close.  I am positive it is something I will never forget.

The enthusiasm of Danielle and Peter along with the untouched wilderness on the island, the amazing wildlife and the scenic views we experienced were among the things that have inspired me to keep taking photos and advance my knowledge on the subject.  Oh, and Danielle and Peter are the greatest photographers, tutors and tour guides on the planet!

 Fly's in a Field of Flowers

ISO 320 f9; 1/15th; Focal length 60mm; WB shade
Canon 50D; 18-55mm
This Little bug was the cutest!
The image captures his hair and his eyes sharply while he was walking
around on top of the pretty yellow flower. 

 Emerging Darkness upon the Jetty
ISO 400; f10; 30secs; Focal Length 22mm
Canon 50D; 18-55mm
The Lighting in this shot was amazing as the jetty was painted with a torch light and the colourful leaves in the foreground made an awesome focal point.

No comments: